Machine for effecting orderly distribution of articles, particularly buttons



A. J. MATTER AND F. V. CON-LEY.

MACHINE FOR EFFECTING ORDERLY DISTRIBUTION 0F ARTICLES, PARTICULARLYBUTTONS. APPLICATloN FILED ocT.30.1915. 11ENEwEn1uNL'1L1919.

A. J. MATTER AND F. v. CONLEY..

MACHINE FOR EFFECTING ORDERLY DISTRIBUTIUN 0F ARTICLES ,PARTICULARLYBurrows. EWED JUNI; I7, 1919.

APPLICATION FILED OCTA 30, i915. REN

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ffzforney,

A. J'. MATTER AND F. V. CONLEY. MACHINT'FOR EFFECTING OIIDERLYDISTRIBUTION OFARTICLES, PARTICULARLY BUTTONS.

l AIPLICATION, FILED OCT. 30, I9I5. RENEWED JUNE I7, 1919- 1,336,785.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3- A. J. MATTER AND F. V. CONLEY.

MACHINE FOR EFFECTING ORDERLY DISTRIBUTION 0F ARTICLES, PARTICULARLYBUTTONS. APPLICATION FILED ocT. 30, 1915. RENEwED JUNE 17, 1919.

1,336,785. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

TSHEETS-SHEET 4.

A. J. MATTER AND F. V. CONLEY. MACHINE FoR EFFECTING oRDERLYDISTRIBUTION oF ARTICLES, PARTICULARLY BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30, 1915. RENEWED JUNE I7I i919.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

TSHEETS-SHEET 5.

A. I. MATTER'AND F. V. CONLEY. MACHINE FOR EFFECTING ORDERLYDISTRIBUTION OF ARTICLES, PARTICULARLY BUTTONS.

'ArPucATxoN FILED OCT. 30.4915. RENEWED JuNL 17. 1919.

1,336,785. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

sHEETs-SHEET e. /3

f7? Mentors:

A. I. MATTER AND F. V. CONLEY. MACHINE FOR EFFECTING ORDERLYDISTRIBUTION 0F ARTICLES, PAHTICULARLY BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED OCTl 30. I9I5. ITENEWED JUNI: I7. I9I9. 1,336,785.

a 2 J www E mw 7 u D A. Jf/ w m orne NTEB STATES PATENT GFFICE.

ALBERT J. MATTER .AND FREDRIGK v*". CGNLEY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON,ASSIGNORS GON, A CORPCRATION OF OREGON.

MACHINE FOR EFFECTING GPL-DEEL? To all w/Lom t may Concern.'

Be it lmownthat we, ALBERT J. MATTER and Fnnnnioii V. Conner, citizensof the United States of America, residing 'at Portland, in the county ofMultnoniah, in the .itate of i Oregon, have invented a certain new anduseful Machine for Eecting Orderly listribution of Articles,Particularly Buttons, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Uur invention relates to machines for automatically assembling andarranging into order individual articles from a disordered collectionthereof. Our machine is, by slight variatizms contemplated within thescope of our invention, adapted to handle many vari-l,|` vice versa.

eties of small articles, as for example, nailsl or tacks in order topresent them to a na1l` ing machine; but besides its general apph`cation as above stated its applica-tion conteniplated specificallyherein is for setting buttons into orderly array and for feeding them,one by one, to a button attaching machine. f

Our machine belongs to and comprehends all that is ordinarily implied inthe term hopper as it is used in the art relating to button attachingmachines, and for convenient brevity we shall hereinafter refer to itfrom time to time as a hopper, but it occupies a somewhat larger field,andv isl adapted for use either as aseparate and independent machine oras an adjunct to another machine, such for example, in labove indicatedspecific application, as a button attaching machine, which, in snch acombination, we hereinafter designate generally as the major machine.

Selecting from among a number onlya few for special mention in thisgeneral statement, we designate the following as some of the moreimportant objects of our invention.

Heretofore in hoppers or feeding devices for button attaching machinesor other major machines the operation of the hopper is made to dependupon the intermittent operation of the'major machine to which the hopperis subsidiary. It is found in practice that such provision fails toeffect, under all conditions, an adequate feed supply of Specificationof Letters l'atent.

INE COMPNY, OE PGRTLAND, ORE- rirs'rnrnU/rron or ARTICLES., PARTICULARLYnnfr'rons.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Renewed June l?, lt'l. Serial No. S04-,99.2.

articles from thev hopper. This objection our invention overcomes inproviding for the operation of the hopper independently of the operationof the major machine and, preferably, through the action of a constantdriving vpower as distinguished from the intermittent action whichcharacterizes button attaching-inachines or the like.

At the same time, while, for the sake of economy, we prefer in combinedmachines to maire the operation of the hopper driving power partlydependent upon the operation of the major machine, we also prefer to prHvide for independent operation thereof at vill, whereby the majormachine may be l .f Ioperated without operating the hopper or Anotherimportant feature of our machine is found in the provision of means forautomatically interrupting the operaation of the hopper if in the courseof its operation the hopper encounters any serions obstruction orresistance to its operation, and we prefer to provide in such meansprovision for interrupting the operation of the hopper withoutinterrupting the movenient of the mechanism which drives it. The pointlast named is of special importance if thehopper driving power employedbe, as it preferably is, electrical.

By our invention, the interior of the hopper proper-or in other wordsthe receptacle for articles in mass is divided into two separate butcon'lmunicating con'ipartments, one constitutinga mere receptacle, andthc other a receptacle wherein the operation of the article lifterconstitutes the first step t0- ward the assembling of the articles intoorderly array.

'.'Mcreoven we provide a positively actuated clearing member for thealining member whereby the latter is swept clean of articles thatpresent themselves out of proper alinement; and also provide means fordelivering articles to the alining member with gentle sliding deliveryas contradistinguished from the drop delivery heretofore depended uponin the class of hoppers to which our invention belongs. In the dropdelivery the articles and particularly but-l to interfere with thefunctioning of the machine. By our invention that tendency issubstantially eliminated with the elect of added efficiency in themachine.

In carrying out the various objects of our invention, care is exercisedin the design and construction of our machine to guard against anytendency of the mechanism to clog in service, and at the same time toproduce a machine of improved simplicity, durability and economy ofmanufacture throughout.

What constitutes our invention will be hereinafter specified in detailand succinctly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of thisspecification,

Figure I is aside elevation partly in section of a portion of one of atype of button attaching machines, presented only by way of example of amajor machine, and of our invention complete in present preferred formof embodiment, all parts being shown in position as at rest.

Fig. II is a central vertical section partly in elevation of part of themachine shown in Fig. I, and embodying our invention.

Fig. III is a rear elevation of part of the subject matter of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a rear elevation of the interior of the hopper proper withthe lifter-bowl and vouter supporting members removed.

Fig. V is a top plan view of the subject matter of Fig. II, with thecover partially broken away and swung aside to expose the interior ofthe hopper proper and parts contained therein.

Fig. VI is a detail side elevation of the upper end of the lifter-bowldriving shaft and connections, showing the disengaging end thrust of theworm sleeve on said shaft.

Fig. VII is a top plan view of the lower end of the button chute and itsengaging mechanism.

Fig. VIII is a view of a reproduction on slightly enlarged scale of aportion of Fig. I, showing the motor switch thrown into the circuitmaking position by operation of members shown of the or machine.

Fig. IX is a horizontal section of Fig. VIII taken so as to show themembers of the motor switch in plan view.

Fig. X is an edge view of the contact end of motor switch leverdetached.

Fig. XI is a front elevation of the motor switch fixed contact and itsinsulating plate detached.

Fig. XII is a reproduction on slightly enlarged scale of a portion ofFig. I, showing motor circuit switch lever open to break circuit and toshut off the button feed.

Fig. XIII is a front elevation of the subject matter of Fig. XII.

Fig. XIV is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the subjectmatter of Fig. I,

taken so as to show the circuit switch terminals in top plan view.

Fig. XV is an interior elevation of one quadrant of the lifter-bowl,including its hub complete.

Fig. XVI is a section on line XVI- XVI ofFig. II.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings wherein like numerals refer tothe same elements throughout, l indicates a preferably tubular standardwhich supports in the usual manner as upon a pedestal, not illustrated,a table 2 which, if our machine is combined with another to which it issubsidiary, may be large enough to accommodate a major machine 3 and thebody 4f of our machine above 'it and its motor 5 below it.

rIhe motor, of any preferred type, and the body being of any suitablecontour and dimensions, we prefer to embody the latter in a single bowlshaped casting with a pedestal 7, compare particularly Figs. I and IV.

Ihe interior of the body et is preferably provided, as shown in Figs. IIand V, with a partition wall 10 which preferably comprises a flange llthat extends around the greater part of the inner circumference of thebody being omitted at the top thereof for lack of function and beingprovided belowwith a button discharge aperture l2 that is preferablydisposed toward one side of the vertical diameter of the body as isclearly illustrated in Fig. IV.

The wall l0 carries, concentrically to the circular periphery preferredof the body fl, a hollow boss le within which one end of a horizontalshaft l5 is mounted and preferably secured as by an abutment screw 16,see Fig. IV. rI`he other eneL of the shaft l5 is carried in the head 17of an upright 18 secured as by a headed screw 19 that takes into ahollowboss 20 provided for its accommodation in the pedestal 7, see Fig.II.

Snugly fitted between the opposing faces of 'the head 17 and the boss14C we prefer to provide, as shown in Fig. II in preferred form ofembodiment, upon the shaft l5 a rotatable hub 2l that is incorporatedwith and preferably forms a part of a button lifter-bowl 23 that iscomplementary to the body 4f with whose rim 24; the correspondent rim 25of the lifter-bowl abuts and against which it rotates in closejuxtaposition. The fixed body I in combination with its complementaryrotative member 23 constitutes a closet receptacle adapted to receivearticles, for example the buttons 27 illustrated in lFig. II, whichbeing introduced into the body are confined for the most part by thewall l0 within the interior of the body.

Se long the buttons 2?, or other articles, romain within the body 4 theylie undisturbed by the operation of the machine eX- cept in so far asthey respond to the force of gravity which tends to draw them throughthe aperture 12 into the lifter-bowl 23. l,Vhile said bowl is rotating aconstant succession through the aperture 12 of articles (with which, ofcourse, the body 4; must be kept supplied) is maintained, suchsuccession being in part dependent upon the rotation of the bowl, bywhose action the aperture 12 is kept open for t ie passtn e of thearticles through it.

To qualify it for the performance of its lifting function the inside ofthe bowl 23 is provided with a succession of suitable and preferablyequidistantly disposed, transversely curviform shelves or scoops 30,that are preferably made integral with the bowl and whose open endsextend toward the interior of the body, whence the supply of buttons 27,or articles to be lifted, gains access to them through the aperture 12in flange 11 of the wall 10.

lt may be here observed that the locating of the aperture 12 to one sideof the vertical as shown in Fig. lV prevents the choking of theaperture, and thereby serves to facilitate and insure the feeding farticles through it.

231 indicates an alining member which being` preferably made integralwith the body il and the partition wall 10, extends on a downwardincline from one end 32, where it makes substantially snug abutmentagainst an annular Zone 83 provided for the purpose upon the inner faceof the bowl 23, to the other end 35 where it penetrates the body 4 andprojects outside of it, as shown clearly in Fig. II.

It is the function of the member 31 to receive all articles that thelifter-bowl 23 catches in its scoops. 30, indiscriminately, and todischarge from its lower end 35 so many of them as dispose themselves inorderly array in passing from the upper to the lower end of the member31.

ln dealing with different articles diiderent forms of alining membersuited to different articles must be selected in accordance withprinciples of selection well understood in the art.- The form of aliningmember shown in the drawings is adapted for use in the feeding of shankbuttons, and the shank 37 of each button is the feature relied upon fordetermining the proper relationship between the button and the aliningmember. Accordingly the alining member shown herein is provided with agroove 4l() which extends through it from end to end, and which is of awidth and depth suited to accommodate and set in alinement the shanks ofthe buttons to the size whereof it is adapted.

lt was in the last but one preceding' paragraph speciiied that thearticles, specifically buttons, are all fed to the member 31indiscriminately. Of that number only a small proportion, possibly, maybe presented so that their shanks will properly enter the groove fl-.0and assume orderly arrangement therein preparatory to discharge ofbuttons from the end 35 of the member 31. lt is this consideration, itmay be observed, that makes it necessary, in practice, to provide forsuch uninterrupted actuation of the lifter-bowl 23 as shall afford thatsupply of art'cles to the allning member which will practically insure,in the operation of the machine a constant output without anyinterruption.

ln order to provide means for disencumbering the aligning memberpromptly of all buttons save only such as are properly presented to it,we prefer to make the outer faces d1 of the walls of the groove 40,below a point 4t2 substantially as shown in Fig. V, divergent from thegroove in cross section as is shown clearly in Figs. V and XVI. Abovethe point 4t2, as shown in Fig. XVI, we prefer to provide in the top ofthe member 31 a downwardly tapering trough t3 which terminatessubstantially where the uniform bevel of the faces al1, merging inchamfers l5 begins.

The effect of the construction last described is that of the manybuttons caught in the trough 43 and sliding down the in- Vclined member31, the greater number whose shanks are downwardly disposed so as toenter the groove -l-.O are properly alined therein. After passing thepoint 4t2 the remaining buttons, for the most part, topple back from thefaces 4-1 into the interior of the body L whence they again pass onthrough the aperture 12 to be again caught up by the lifter-bowl andagain presented to the alining member. lNhen the buttons arrayed by thealining member reach approximately the end of their downward traveltherein they are protected in their exit by a cover plate r6 whichguides them unerringly to their ultimate discharge, as into a buttonchute el? of familiar use in the art.

ln order to insure against interruption of the operation of the machineby an occasional disorderly button sticking to the alining member 51below the point 42, from any cause whatsoever, we prefer to provide apositively actuated and otherwise novel clearing member, which may bepractically relied upon to eifectually sweep the alining member clear ofall obstructing articles.

The positive operation of the clearing member contributes in largemeasure to its success, but it is aided therein by the extension of themember 31, throughout a considerable portion of its length, across alarge open space defined within the interior of the body il, wherein, bymeans which our invention provides, discharge or play of buttons abovethe member 8i, which is a factor that produces clogging' in otherhoppers, is substantially eliminated.

@ur clearing member preferably consists of a sweeper or notched wheeland preferably a notched crown wheel i8 that is se cured to/the reducedend of a shaft elf) by means of a terminal nut 50 and an intermediatebearing bushing 51, interposed between thc nut and shoulder 52 or theshaft 49, as shown in detail in Fig. lll. The bushing 5l revolublysupports the shaft i9 in a bearing 53 provided for it in an upright /lon the inner end of the cover plate 4G, which is preferably secured asby its side lugs and screws 5G to lateral supports 57 on the end 35 ofthe alining member 3l.

rlhe end of the shaft i9 opposite that which carries the wheel t8 isrevolubly mounted in a stud 5S, suitably disposed, preferably upon thepartition wall lO, compare Figs. ll and lV. lt terminates at that end ina fixed star wheel 60 which is operatively disposed in the path oftravel of the scoops 30 so that it engages and receives a rotativeimpulse from each scoop as it passes it in the rotation of the bowl 23.By this means a succession of smart strokes or vibrations is imparted tothe wheel 48 at frequent intervals, which, if the wheel be adjusted to aproper relative height above the top of the alining member, will sufficeto keep said member swept clear of obstructions such, for example, aswould be otherwise interposed by an uptilted button as shown in Figs. lland XVI.

The top of the body l is preferably defined by a rim 6l against whichfits snugly the overlapping edge 62 of a cover 63 hinged preferably by avertically disposed pintle 64, connecting lugs 65 and 66 upon the coverand the body, respectively.

Rotation of the lifter-bowl 23 may be communicated by any suitabledriving mechanism which, possessing the relationship already indicated,preferably derives its power from the motor 5. In its present preferredform of embodiment it comprehends a revoluble shaft 67 mounted invertical bearings 68 and 69 provided for it in the upright 1S (see Figs.l, ll, Hl, and V). At its lower end the shaft 67 carries a fixed wormgear 70 that meshes with a worm pinion 7l fixed to a projecting end ofthe commutator shaft or other revoluble member 72 of the motor. At itsupper end it carries a worm 7 3 that intermeshes with a worm gear 74fixed to the hub 21 of the bowl 23, to accommodate which the upright 18is preferably deflected as shown in Fig. II.

In order to provide for the automatic interruption of the operation ofthe hopper if it should encounter any serious resistance, as suggestedin the general statement, we employ as a preferred means foraccomplishing that purpose to make the worm 7 3 in the form of a sleevelongitudinally movable and rotatable upon the shaft 67. lt is yieldinglyimpelled to seat against the upper face of the bearing 68 as by a spring7 5 coiled about the shaft 67 and interposed between it and a washer 79held in place upon the shaft 67 by a nut 7G threaded to the upper end ofthe shaft. it its lower end the worm sleeve 7 3 is provided with a notch77 which is adapted to engage, when registered therewith, a pin 7 8 uponthe shaft 67, whose function it is both to position the shaft in itsbearings and to impart rotation to the sleeve 73 whenever the latter iscoupled to it by its engagement with the notch 77. Such engagement marksthe normal relationship of the notch and the pin which serves tocommunicate continuous motion from the shaft 7 to the sleeve 73 andthrough it to the gear 74k fixed to the hub 2l of the lifter-bowl 23;but if resistance to the free rotation of the bowl be interposed, as maybe demonstrated by the pressure of a finger lightly applied to theoutside of the bowl, it will immediately cause the wheel 7d to lift theworm sleeve 73, when, upon disengagement of the notch 77 from the pin78, the shaft 67 will run free of the sleeve 7 3 so long as interruptionor retardation of movement of the bowl continues. U pon cessation ofsuch interruption or retardation the engagement broken thereby isrenewed and rotation is again imparted from the shaft 67 to the bowl 23as before. Such interruption' or retardation being most likely to occur,if at all, from some obstruction within the hopper, as for eX- ample, bya broken button or a piece of trash becoming wedged between the workingparts of the mechanism, it is desirable to make the automatic mechanismcalled into requisition thereby quickly and easily responsive. This' maybe n accomplished through the measure of the resistance, determinable asby adjustment of nut 7 6, of the spring 7 5 to the uplift of the wormsleeve 7 8.

That distinctive feature of our invention which is referred to in thegeneral statement under the term sliding delivery of articles to thealining member will be made clear upon reference to Fig. lV of thedrawings.

In that ligure the end S2 of the alining member 3l with the flared endof its trough 43 is shown in elevation. On that side of the aliningmember toward which the scoops 30 travel as the bowl 23 is rotated inthe direction of the arrow we provide a preferably resilient deliveryplate 80 the same being preferably hinged to the alining memberl, asupon a lug 8l thereon provided for the accommodation of a pintle 82through it and cheek pieces 83 upon opposite sides of it. The deliveryplate 8O is preferably made of sheet metal and of a length a littlegreater than the distance bellO tween alternate scoops 39 in the bowl23. It is preferably carried so as to permit a scoop 39 to make sweepingcontact with it at about its middle as indicated at 85 and to excludecontact with it at other points in its 't The free end of the plate 89is preferably deflected toward the axis of the bowl ited at 86, andyieldingly supported with uplift toward the scoops 39 as by a tensilespring 8? hitched at one end to a pin 88 projecting from the flange 11of the wall 19 and at the other to the plate 89 as indicated at 89. Aguard plate 99 is preferably provided on one side of the plate 89,extending substantially from the point 85 toward the discharge end ofthe plate.

The slight rocking movement of the plate 89 upon its pintle 82 islimited in one direction as by a shoulder 99m on the lug 81, so that thedischarge end of the plate 89 is, by

Vaction of the spring 87, normally held in close juxtaposition to theplatform 91 upon the adjacent side of the alining member 31 which sideis for its accommodation made slightly wider and higher than the otherside of the trough 43.

For the better explanation of the operation of the article deliveryabove described,

the buttons shown in Fig. IV are distinc' tively numbered 92, 93, 94,95, and 96 in respect to the diilerent positions they assume in the saidoperation. Button 92, for eX- ample, represents any button caught in ascoop 39, wherein it may occupy any position it may happen to assume,the one shown being` that in which the shank of the button is uppermost.93 indicates the same button advanced by movement of its retaining coop,through rotation of the bowl 23, to a position at which it is almostready to fall by gravity upon the plate 89. 94 indicates the same buttondeposited upon the plate and about to be liberated from contact with thescoop. 95 indicates a button deposited upon the platform 91 and readyto. slide into position occupied by button 96.

From the description last preceding it will be observed that by themeans indicated a gentle sliding delivery of articles to the aliningmember is effected and that any violent or bouncing movement such as isusually consequent upon a dropping delivery of the articles is whollyeliminated. The effect is to increase very considerately the eiliciencyof the machine.

As has been set forth in the preceding general statement we prefer toemploy a separate motor for driving the lifter-bowl 23, but at the sametime we prefer to make its operation dependent upon that of the ormachine when the hopper is combined with a major machine. A/ticcordinglywe show in Figs. I and VIII to XIV inclusive preferred jiuechanism foraccomplishing that end.

In Fig. I we show upon the major machine that which may be denominatedin respect to the hopper an actuator 199. It consists of a rocking leverfulcrumed at 191, and responds to every downward pull upon a pedalpitman192 within the standard l, by which the major machine is ordinarilyoperated. In Fig. I the actuator lever is shown at rest. In Fig. VIII itis shown as lifted by .downpull of the pitman 192. The actuator isintended to represent any available member in any type of major machinefrom which the intermittent motion thereof may be operativelycommunicated to set the hopper driving mechanism in motion. In its pathof motion is disposed the snub end 193 of a rockinglever 194 pivoted asby a screw 195 (compare Figs. VIII and IX) to the pedestal 7, which is,for its accommodation, preferably made of the shapeshown in crosssection in Fig. IX. V

Upon its end opposite 193 the lever 194 preferably carries,substantially at right angles to its longitudinal axis, a roller 196which is revolubly secured to the bent end of the lever as by a bolt197. The roller normally tends to enter a recess 198 in the periphery ofthe bowl v23 (see Figs. I and III) when the end 193 of the lever 194 maythen be lifted, but when the lever 194 is rocked upon its pivot 195 andso lifted as by uplift of the actuator 199, engagement of the roller 196with the unbroken periphery of the bowl prevents return of the lever 194until the bowl has made at least one complete revolution. By this meansa complete rotation of the lifter bowl 23 with its consequent feed ofarticles to the alining member is insured automatically with each strokeof the pitman 192, thereby insuring at all times adequate supply ofarticles to the major machine.

The normal tendency toward said engagement of the roller 196 with thebowl 23 may be derived from the power of a tensile spring 199 hitched atone end to the pedestal 7 as indicated at 119, and at the other to amotor switch lever 111, pivoted as indicated at 112 to the lever 194 andcarried thereby. The function of the spring 199 is to impart motion, asabove described, to the lever 194 and at the same time to attract theswitch lever 111, on which. is provided near its free end an insulatedroller-contact 113, mounted, for axamplc, as shown in Fig. X upon apivot 114 between insulating plates 115 riveted to the lever 111. Theroller-contact 113 constitutes a terminal to a flexible electric main116 of the motor 5 which is energized through mains 117 and 118 thatcommunicate with any suitable source of electric energy supply notillustrated. The main 116 is, in effect, a continuation, through itsterminal 113, of the main 117 which is provided with a fixed terminal119 whose contact face is presented as through an insulating plate 120screwed to the pedestal 7 as indicated at 121, into Contact with theroller 113.i Comparison of Figs. I and VIH will disclose the operationof making and breaking Contact through the terminals 119 and 113. rllhelatter, riding against the plate 120, is normally depressed by action ofthe spring 109 to the contact breaking position shown in F ig. l, butwhen lifted by the lever 104 it makes contact through terminal 119 tocomplete drivingcircuit through the motor. A throat 123 is preferablyprovided in the table 2 to accommodate the plate 120 and the workingfree end of the switch lever 111.

rEhe operation as above described of the lever 104 will amply serve thepurpose for which it is intended, but upon occasion it is desirable tobe able to effect operation of the major machine without operating thehopper, we therefore prefer to employ in the motor circuit a make andbreak switch-lever 125 which may be cut in at any preferred point, andwhich preferably embodies in itself a mechanical button feed cutoff.Because of the presence of the latter it is convenient to extend themotor circuit as by leads 126 and 127 to a convenient point of accesswhere a pair of resilient terminals 128 and 129 insulated upon a base130 screwed to the body 4 as indicated at 131, are placed.

The lever 125 is preferably a bell crank lever and piv'oted at its angleto a lug 133 projecting from the body, 4, as by means of a screw 134.The length of one arm of the lever 125 is such as to bring one end of itinto operative proximity to the terminals 128 and 129, and the length ofthe other arm such as to bring its other end into like proximity to theupper end of the chute 47 and the top of the end 35 of the aliningmember that is contiguous thereto.

The end of the lever 125 first above mentioned carries an insulatinghead 135 that carries, insulated within it, a transverse conductor 136which isv adapted, through movement of 'the switch-lever 125, to makeand break contact between the terminals 128 and 129, compare Figs. XlVand X111. A 'tensile spring 137, hitched at one end to a .pin 138,projecting from the body 4, is hitched at the other end to the lever125, as to a pin 13S) ythereon so disposed as to pass the center of thepivot 134 on the uplift and downthrow of the lever, respectively, and isconsequently adapted to hold the lever to either of those two positionsto which it may be shifted. y p

The other or upper end of the lever 125 is preferably 'provided with acrossover 141 (see Fig. XIII) and a terminal extension 142 disposed toaccommodate a button dog in accurate ali'nement with registeringterminal longitudinal slots 144 and, 145, re-

spectively, in the cover plate 46 and the top of the button chute 47(see Figs. l1 and V). The button dog preferably consists of 'a bentlever comprising a curviform median portion or body 146, a tail 147, anda nose 148. 1t is pivotally united to the deflection 142 of the lever125 as by a bolt 150, its nose being downtilted by the force of atensile spring 151 hitched to the tail as indicated at 152 and to a lug153 on the crossover 141. 1t is the office of the nose 148 to enter theslot 144 in the cover plate 46 whenever the lever 125 is thrown intocircuit breaking position, as shown in Fig. XH, and by impingementagainst the foremost button in the groove 40 of the alining member 31 topush back and cut off the feed of buttons therefrom.

l/Vhen the lever 125 is in its circuit making position asshown in Fig.I, the terminal extension 142 riding upon top of the chute below the endof its terminal slot 145 serves, through the power of the spring 137, toconne in place the upper end of the chute 47 whose lower end is securedin position, preferably by engagement of its wings 147 with headed studs148 carried by the major machine 3.

1n view of reference to operation made from time to time in theforegoing specification, the following brief description of theoperation of our invention as above described in preferred embodimentwill be all sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to arrive at afull understanding of it.

Buttons are kept supplied, through the opening therein that is closedduring the operation of the machine by the cover 63, to the interior ofthe body 4 which is preferably of ample capacity to receive an adequatesupply. l/Vithin the body in the space dened by the wall 10, the buttonsremain undisturbed except as they are drawn by gravity to seek an exitthrough the aperture 12, through which they pass and gain access to thescoops 30 of the lifter-bowl 23. Catching the buttons as they aresupplied through the aperture 12, the scoops, during` periods ofrotation of the bowl 23, lift them and in the gentle manner of deliveryheretofore described discharge them upon the delivery plate and thenceby the inclined alining member 31, by which, in orderly array effected,in the manner specified, by the operation of, the machine, they are, inlike manner, fed out by action of gravity.

rlhe above description of operation applies to our machine whether it beused independently of or in conjunction with a major machine.

rlhe driving power which operates the bcwl 23 is derived preferably fromthe motor, whose motion is, if our machine be subsidiary to a majormachine, usually made to depend upon the movement of the actuator 100,thereof; but the bowl may be at any time, if desired, caused to operateunder its own driving power upon manipulative uplift of the end 103 ofthe lever 104C.

For clearness and completeness of the present description it may be herestated not without some repetition that the coaction of the roller 106and recess 108 in the bowl compels rotation of the bowl, when set oncein motion, to continue for the period of one complete revolution of thebowl, thereby effectually insuring a supply of buttons to the majormachine at all times sufiicient to meet its demands; but it is proper toadd that when the hopper is used as an independent machine the functionderived from the said coaction may be dispensed with.

' Moreover, by making completion of the motor circuit dependent uponposition of the switch-lever 125, and providing the latter with a buttondog,` as described, the breaking of the circuit by manipulation saidVswitch-lever always insures interruption of the button feed. pportunityis thereby afforded not only for operation of the major machineindependently of the hopper, but also for shi t of button vchutes asoccasion may require.

TWhat we claim is:

combination with a fixed hollow body, tary lifter-bowl juiaaposedthereto, i driving mechanism, of means for effecting orderly dischargefrom the machine of articles supplied by rotation of the bowl, andapertnred partition wall transversely of said means separating theinteriors of the bowl and body.

2. ln a machine of the kind described, the combination with a fixedhollen7 body, a rotary lifter-bowl juxtaposed thereto, and its drivingmechanism, of a partition wall dividing the interiors of the bowl andbody, resriectively, into separate coni uiicating compartments, articlelifting i ms within the bowl exclusively, and an al j member projectingbeyond said partition and in op erative communication witn said ni i andadapted to receive articles and to discharge them in orderly array.

E. ln a machine of the kind dos combination with a pHed hollov. l tarylifter-bowl juxmoosed thereto. and its drivingmechanism, of a partitionwall dividing the interiors of the bowl and respectively, into separatecommun, compartments, article lifting means within the bowl exclusively,and an valining member in operative communication with said s andadapted to receive art kles and to discharge them in orderly array, saidpartiti' wall extending across thc vertical diame of the body and beingprovided with an Y erture, as means for communication through it,located toward one side of said vertical diameter.

,4. 1n a machine of the kind described, the combination with a fixedhollow body, a rotary lifter-bowl juxtaposed thereto, and its drivingmechanism, of a partition wall dividing the interiors of the bowl andbody, respectively, into separate communi-rating compartments, scoopsupon the interior of the bowl adapted to carry articles from the bottomtoward the top of the bowl and there deliver them, and an alining memberprojecting from opposite sides of said partition wall adapted to receivesaid articles and provided with means for disposing them and fordischarging them in orderly array.

5. ln a machine of the kind described, the combination with body, and arelatively movable member constituting therewith a case and adapted tocarry articles from the bottom toward the top thereof, of an aliningmember adapted to receive said articles from said member and providedwith means for disposing` them and for discharging them in orderlyarray, and means for elfecting sliding delivery of articles from saidmovable member to the alining member.

6. 1n a machine of the kind described, the combination with a body, anda relatively movably member constituting therewith a case and adapted tocarry articles from the bottom toward the top thereof, of an aliningmember adapted to receive said articles from said member and providedwith means for disposing them and for discharging` them in orderlyarray, and means for effecting sliding delivery of articles from saidmovable member to the alining member, said means comprising` a deliveryplate intermediate the point of delivery of articles from said movablemember and the alining` member.

7. ln a machine of the kind described, the combination with a body, anda relatively movable member adapted to carry articles from the bottomtoward the top thereof, of an alining member adapted to receive saidarticles from said member and provided with means for disposing them andfor discharging them in orderly array, and means for effecting slidingdelivery of articles from said movable member to the alining member,said means comprising` a resilient delivery plate over which thearticles pass intermediate the point of delivery of articles from saidmovable member and the alining member.

S. ln a machine of the kind described, the combination with a body, anda relatively movable member adapted to carry articles from the bottomtoward the top thereof, of an alining member adapted to receive saidarticles from said member and provided with means vfor disposing themand for discharging them in orderly array, and means for edectingsliding delivery of articles from illO said movable member to thealining member, said means comprising a yielding delivery plateintermediate the point of delivery of articles from said movable memberand the alining member, and coperating with the side of said aliningmember to present a surface upon which the articles travel in passingthereto.

9. 1n a machine of the kind described, the combination with a fixedbody, a rotary lifter bowl juxtaposed thereto, and its drivingmechanism, of scoops within the lifter bowl, an alining member, and adelivery plate v'located in the path `ot movement of the scoops and inoperative disposition thereto and to the alining member.

10. In 'a machine of the kind described, the combination with a body,and a relatively movable member having pockets adapted to carry articlesfrom the bottom toward the top thereof, of an alining member adapted toreceive said articles from said member and provided with means fordisposing them and for discharging them in orderly array, and apositively actuated clearing member disposed in operative proximity tothe alining member, said clearing member comprising a yrotatable shaftin operative driven communication with the pockets on said movablemember.

1-1. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with a yfixedhollow body, a rotary lifter-bowl juxtaposed thereto, and its drivingmechanism, of a partition wall dividing the interiors of the bowl andbody, respectively, into separate communicating compartments, scoops-upon the interior of the bowl adapted to carry articles from the bottomtoward the top of the bowl and there deliver them, an alining memberadapted to receive said articles and provided with means for disposingthem and for discharging them in orderly array, and a clearing membercomprising a rotatable shaft carried in operative relationship to thebowl and alining member respectively, connecting means on the shaftadapted to receiverotation by successive engagement with the scoops, anda sweeper on the shaft in operative proximity to the alining member.

12. 1n a machine of the kind described, the combination with a body, amovable member, and an alining member adapted to receive articlessupplied to it lby operation of the movable member and to dispose anddischarge them in orderly array, of constant driving mechanism inyielding operative communication with said movable member.

13. 1n a machine of the kind described, the combination with a body, arotary lifterbowl, and an 4ali-ning member in operative communicationvwith the lifter-bowl for the pur-pose specified, of constant drivingmechanism in operative communication with the bowl, means for settingthe driving mechalnism in motion, and means :tor compellinguninterrupted normal operation of the driving mechanism, when set inmotion, during a determinate period measured by rotation of the bowl.

14. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with a body, arotary lifterbowl, and an alining member in operative communication withthe lifter-bowl for the purpose specified, of constant drivingmechanism' in operative communication with the bowl, and means forautomatically interrupting the rotation of the bowl without interruptingoperation of the driving mechanism.

15. Ina machine of the kind described, the combination with a body, arotary lifterbowl, and an alining member in operative communication with4the lifter-bowl for the purpose specified, of constant drivingmechanism in operative communication with the bowl, and means forautomatically interrupting the rotation of the bowl without interruptingoperation of the driving mechanism, said last named means comprising aworm and gear connection between the bowl and the driving mechanismwherein a loose worm is provided with means for coupling and uncouplingit to the driving mechanism, the coupling and uncoupling movement of theworm being dependent upon the freedom of rotative movement of the gear,substantially as set forth.

16. ylnhe combination with a hopper comprising a body, a movable member,an alining member in operative communication with the movable member forthe purpose specified, and a constant driving mechanism for the movablemember, of a major machine to which the hopper is subsidiary,` itsdriving mechanism, and an automatically controlled actuator in operativecommunication with the driving mechanism oi: the hopper so as to set itin motion.

17. The combination with a hopper comprising a body, a movable member,an alining member in operative communication with the movable member forthe purpose specified, and a constant driving mechanism for the movablemember, oi a major machine` to which the hopper is subsidiary, itsdriving mechanism, an actuator in operative communication with thedriving mechanism of the hopper so as to set it in motion, and means forcompelling operation of the hopper driving mechanism, when once set ,inmotion, Jfor an independent determinate period. A

18. The combination with a hopper comprising a body, a movable member,an alining member in operative communication with the movable memberJitor the purpose specified, and driving mechanism for the movablemember, of a lever provided with alternately operative means forinterrupting discharge of articles from the alining member and forsetting the driving mechanism in motion, whereby operation of said leverto interrupt motion of the driving mechanism automatically interruptsthe discharge of articles.

19. The combination with a hopper comprising a body, a movable member,an alining member in operative communication with the movable member forthe purpose speciiied, and driving mechanism for the movable member, ofa lever provided with alternately operative means for interruptingdischarge of articles from the alining member and for setting thedriving mechanism in motion, whereby operation of said lever tointerrupt motion of the driving mechanism automatically interrupts thedischarge of articles, a detachable article delivery chute disposed inoperative proximity to the discharge end of the alining member, andmeans upon the lever aforesaid for securing the chute when the lever isthrown to setting `the driving mechanism in motion and for liberating itupon reverse movement of the lever.

20. The combination With a hopper comprising a body, a movable member,an alining member in operative communication with the movable member forthe purpose specified, and an electric motor Yfor the movable member, ofa major machine to which the hopper is subsidiary, an actuator on themajor machine, and a switch including a movable electric terminal inoperative communication with the actuator and adapted to make and breakcircuit through the motor.

21. The combination with a hopper comprising a body, a movable member,an alining member in operative communication with the movable member forthe purpose specified, yand an electric motor for the movable member, ora major machine to which the hopper is subsidiary, an actuator on themajor machine, and a switch including a movable electric terminal inoperative communication with the actuator and adapted to make and breakcircuit through the motor,

said terminal being carried by a lever whose operation is made dependentupon relative disposition thereto of the movable member aforesaid.

22. The combination with a hopper comprising a body, a movable member,an alining member in operative communication with the movable member forthe purpose specified, and an electric motor for the movable member, 01.a major machine to which the hopper is subsidiary, an actuator on themajor machine, a movable electric terminal in operative communicationwith the actuator and adapted to make and break circuit through themotor, said terminal being carried by a lever Whose operation is madedependent upon relative disposition thereto of the movable memberaforesaid, and a switch includingv a lever adapted to make and break themotor circuit and provided with means alternately operative therewithfor interrupting discharge of articles from the alining member.

ln testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT J. MATTER. FREDRICK V. CONLEY.

Vvlitnesses JOSEPH L. ATKINS, HOWARD O. ROGERS.

